Balkan Studies | Info

In his compelling book, McMafia, Misha Glenny pulls the reader in with a combination of factual information and firsthand accounts of the methods and dangers and also ease with which materials, goods, and people are smuggled across international borders around the world. Comparing organized crime to the global market success of McDonald's, Glenny is able to illustrate just how connected the world of smuggling and corruption has become. His stated point for this book is to discover the cross-country nature of organized crime and this is precisely what he accomplishes. He breaks his book down into four main parts dealing with different regions of the world and different types of crime.

Women as a commodity

Glenny begins his account in Russia communism which ended the post-Cold War created new countries in Eastern Europe, He explains that for many men in these poor, disenfranchised regions used the monetary advantages of crime to move up in their society was the only way. Glenny also explains that women became a commodity. Prostitution was rampant on all sides of the boarders. The profession was only option for many women. Glenny points out that historically, some of these countries- like Bulgaria- have a historical tradition as being the “bridge” between two nations, and this precedence would facilitate the crossing and ease of movement across borders.

Glenny explains that the Balkans continue to play an important job in “shadow global economies” as it was, “the chief transit zone for goods and services from around the world.” The Balkins enabled the transportation of many goods from around the world. Smuggling women across borders was relatively easy. If they could not cross legally, they would at least not attract the attention of “sniffer dogs” as trying to smuggle drugs would. In addition to prostitutes, profits could also be made by selling goods, such as cigarettes and clothes, at marked up prices.

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